Gators Tabbed Third In SEC East In Preseason Poll
Friday, November 3, 2000 | Men's Basketball
The University of Florida men's basketball team was selected to finish third in the Southeastern Conference Eastern Division in the media poll taken in Tipoff 2001 at the SEC Basketball Media Days in Birmingham, Ala.
Tennessee was selected to win the SEC Championship with 19 votes. Arkansas received four votes followed by Kentucky (3) and Florida (2). The Vols were also selected to win the Eastern Division, with 21 votes. Kentucky was selected to finish second with five votes, and the Gators were picked to finish third with four. Arkansas was favored to win the Western Division with 23 votes.
Junior center Udonis Haslem was named to the All-SEC first team's five-man squad. Haslem was named the "Chevrolet Player of the Game" in last season's NCAA Championship game against Michigan State and led the Gators in scoring in NCAA tournament action. Joining Haslem on the All-SEC first team were Tennessee's Tony Harris and Vincent Yarbrough, Kentucky's Tayshaun Prince and Arkansas' Joe Johnson, who was also garnered preseason Player of the Year honors with 24 votes.
SEC Men's Champion
Tennessee 19
Arkansas 4
Kentucky 3
Florida 2
Eastern Division
1. Tennesssee (21) 42
2. Kentucky (5) 64
3. Florida (4) 77
4. South Carolina 126
5. Georgia 149
6. Vanderbilt 169
Western Division
1. Arkansas (23) 40
2. Alabama (6) 64
3. Mississippi State (1) 104
4. Auburn 129
5. LSU 139
6. Ole Miss 154
All-SEC First Team
G - Joe Johnson, Arkansas 30
G - Tony Harris, Tennessee 20
C - Udonis Haslem, Florida 20
F - Vincent Yarbrough, Tennessee 26
F - Tayshaun Prince, Kentucky 15
All-SEC Second Team
G - D.A. Layne, Georgia 9
G - Keith Bogans, Kentucky 4
G - Rod Grizzard, Alabama 4
F - Chuck Eidson, South Carolina 3
C - Greg LaPointe, Vanderbilt 3
Player of the Year
Joe Johnson, Arkansas 24
Vincent Yarbrough, Tennessee 2
Keith Bogans, Kentucky 1
Tony Harris, Tennessee 1
End of Report
